Flip of A Coin
by EgyptianAssassin
Summary: She hated him. He had stolen her life. But now she was going to get revenge. Batman was going to regret messing with the daughter of a Rouge. "If you give your enemies enough rope, they'll hang themselves with it."
1. Chapter 1

**So I've had this idea for a while and decided to get it out. I'll still be working on ****_More Than One Mask._**** The poem is my original work, so please ask before you use it or any of my original characters**

**All other characters belong to D.C. Comics**

Acacia leans back against the grass, her elbows supporting her torso. She stares over at the groups that claim the bench-tables, pondering. Why were they considered elite? Why were their families the privileged and wealthy?

Hard work was how it started. Work, determination, responsibility. That was how each of these people could afford their expensive clothes and fancy new phones that were replaced and disposed of the moment the next one came out; even if there was hardly a difference between the two. These people hardly knew the meaning of the words work, determination, and responsibility.

_Well, no, that isn't entirely true_, she muses, _Tim Drake certainly knows the rougher side of life_. Yes, Tim Drake is similar to her. They both gained scholarships; they both have to study and keep a 3.0 GPA to keep said scholarship; they both have after-school jobs. However, Tim is more accepted by the students of the Gotham Private High School because of his connection to Bruce Wayne—richest and most eligible bachelor in Gotham.

Acacia sighs and allows herself to fall backward onto the manicured lawns of the school, closing her eyes. She is more than likely getting grass stains on her school uniform—a button up white long-sleeved shirt with a tartan skirt—but she couldn't bring herself to care at this moment. Everything is peaceful, a rare warm, sunny day has fallen upon Gotham, something most students at the high school are taking advantage of.

"What are you grinning about, Dent?"

Acacia cracks open her eyes to see Crowe Moore standing over her. She gives him a lazy smile, "The rare sunshine. Not all of us want to be mistaken for the undead."

He snorts and sits next to her with the grace of a caged lion. It wouldn't seem possible to be as silent and graceful with a quarterback build and Yeti feet. He stretches his legs in front of him and leans back on his hands. "So, what's today's creepy rhyme-slash-poem?"

Acacia grins. The first time they met, Acacia was partners with him in English freshmen year and they had to memorize and read poems. She chose the creepiest poems she could find to see if she could scare him. He had, in turn, found the silliest poems to counteract her. This led to their friendship, which then led to her daily tradition of finding creepy poems and rhymes and reciting them.

Acacia now clears her throat and says,

"Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother

Forty whacks

And when she saw

What she had done

She gave her father

Forty-one."

Crowe looks at her with a cross of amazement and horror. "Where do you find these? Do you Google them or something? Scavenge every book in the library just for creepy poems?"

"That actually wasn't a poem. It's part of a children's nursery rhyme. I haven't memorized the rest."

"That's more than a little disturbing."

"No, disturbing is your father reading you the original Grimm fairy tales and just original fairy tales in general to show that the world is not a nice place." I turn my head away from him. The bell rings at that moment and I grab my stuff, rising to head to class. Moore doesn't say anything, but is a steady presence against my back.

As Acacia sits down in English 11, she thinks back to her childhood. Acacia Elise-Rachel Dent is the daughter of Harvey James Dent, the best district attorney that Gotham has ever had. He is also one of the Rouges of Gotham, Two-Face. She was an unplanned accident. Acacia's mother dropped her at one of his more famous hideouts and left. Nobody knew the little baby was there until she woke up hungry and cold and started crying.

She reaches up and clenches her locket in her fist. Inside is the note her mother had left for the girl's father to read. Her father had a copy in a matching locket with a picture of her as a child on the other side. Hers had a picture of him. He wasn't the best father, but he did try. He never hit or verbally abused Acacia. But she did see a multitude of crimes at a young age, which caused her sense of right and wrong to be different from most people. She stayed with her father until she was eight, which was when Batman discovered her existence.

_~~ I was playing with my stuffies, introducing the new one to the others. She was a giraffe named Ellen. The door shuddered and I looked up. A bang came from the door again and I grabbed my stuffed pony Rachel and backed away from the door. Where were John and Mark? They were supposed to keep me safe. Daddy said that they were knights for me, his princess._

_The door shook again, cracks appeared in the wood, and I whimpered. I hurried to my closet and opened it. I then opened my hidey-hole and went inside, closing the door behind me. I heard the door crash to the floor and flinched backward in the small space._

_"Batman, this looks like a little girl's room," a male voice said._

_"Jesus, is Two-Face turning into a pedophile? Look at this, it's every girl's dream room," said another, deeper voice._

_I didn't know what a ped-o-file was, but it sounded mean. These men called Daddy by the bad name, so I knew that I needed to stay hidden. I shifted further back, clutching at Rachel tightly._

_"Nightwing, Red Hood, search the room. Robin, come with me. Make sure nobody is in here." The man that said this had a rough, scary voice. She was glad he was leaving._

_"Sure thing, Batman. C'mon, Red, there might a clue as to where the girl is." That was the first man._

_"Fine." The second._

_I heard the two men left behind start going through my things. One of them headed closer to where I was hiding and I started breathing faster. He opened the closet door and pushed aside my fancy clothes._

_"Yo, Wing-nut, there's a hidden door here. Come and see if you can get it open."_

_No, no, no. They found me. I started crying. I wanted my Daddy._

_"Hey, sweetie, it's okay. We're the good guys. We're gonna get you out okay?" I knew the first man was trying to calm me down, but I didn't want him to find me. I started sobbing into my pony._

_"Damn, Wing-nut, you scared her even more." There was the sound of something hitting something else and the second shouted, "What the hell was that for?"_

_"Don't cuss. There's a little girl in there. She can hear you."_

_The door to my hidey-hole opened and I saw a man wearing a blue and black mask. His hair was black and messy, he also had bright blue eyes. "Hey there, sweetie, I'm Nightwing and behind me is Red Hood. Can you come out? You're okay now."_

_I shook my head. "No."_

_"What does she mean 'no'?" demanded Red Hood._

_"Daddy said that I'm safe here. I'm not supposed to come out until he comes and gets me." I squished myself back further into the small square._

_"Jesus, he has her calling him 'Dad'. Christ, what a sicko." Red Hood stormed off to the broken door._

_"Please? Your dad sent us to find you. He wants us to take you somewhere safe." Nightwing held his hand out and smiled at me._

_I looked at him. He did seem like a nice man. I carefully put my hand in his and he helped me out. I stood up and tilted my head back to look at him. He was really tall, and so was his friend. They looked almost as tall as Daddy, but Daddy was taller then everyone. "Will you take me to my Daddy now, Mister Nightwing?"_

_He smiled at me and bent down, picking me up. "Sure."_

_I didn't pay much attention to what the two men were talking about. We got close to Daddy's office and I heard yelling. I lifted my head up to see what was going on and saw Daddy standing with his two guns, snarling at two people in front of him. Jesse and Tom were standing with Daddy, with guns too._

_Daddy swung one gun toward me and Nightwing and Red Hood. He then glanced over at me, and his eye widen. "Acacia!" He turned back to the man and boy. "Tell them to let her go, Batman, or I kill them."_

_"She's not yours, Harvey. Let her go back to her real family." The man with the scary voice spoke again and I realized he was Batman. The bad man that didn't like Daddy._

_I started squirming and trying to get out of Nightwing's hold. I hit him with my pony. He lied to me! He said he was Daddy's friend! I bit him in the arm and he yelped, dropping me. I ran to Daddy and hid behind his leg, glaring at the liar._

_"Baby girl, what are you doing out of the safe box?" Daddy asked me in his soft voice._

_I clutched his leg and started crying again. "I'm sorry, Daddy! I'm sorry! He said that you sent him! He told me he was your friend! I didn't know he was a bad man! He sounded nice and he carried me."_

_Daddy holstered one of his guns. Keeping one gun on the bad men, Daddy crouched down and picked me up in his arm. I buried my face in his neck, wrapping my arms around his neck I clenched Rachel's leg._

_"This is my daughter, Batman. You stay away from her and everyone can leave here in one piece." Daddy was using his mean voice now._

_"You kidnapped her, Two-Face! Just admit it! You brainwashed her into thinking she's your daughter because of some sick, perversion you have!" shouted Red Hood, stepping forward._

_"SHUT UP!" Daddy roared. "Acacia is MY DAUGHTER! You have no idea WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!" I heard a bang and flinched. Daddy tightened his arm around me and I heard Red Hood shout in pain. Daddy had shot him. Good. Red Hood was a bad man._

_There was suddenly a lot of noise as people moved and shot off guns. I felt Daddy get knocked down and he rolled so that he covered me. I felt him get torn away and gloved hands grabbing me. "NO!" I screamed. "DADDY! Daddy, come back!"_

_"ACACIA!" Daddy bellowed and I looked up to see Batman holding my daddy away from me._

_I flung myself away from the person behind me in an effort to get to my Daddy. The boy from before launched himself on top of me and sat on me. "Let me go!" I said, swinging at him with my hands._

_He pinned my hands down and stared down at me. He wasn't any older than me. He had dark blue eyes and hair that was cut short and gelled back out of his face. "Please, please let me go to my Daddy," I begged._

_He scrunched his face and looked over at Batman. "Batman," he said._

_"No, Robin. Two-Face is a criminal. He is not allowed near her. We'll do a blood test later. But she's not going back to him either way."_

_"Acacia," Daddy said in his nice voice. "Sweetheart, they aren't going to let us go. You're going to go to a different family, but I'll come for you, okay?"_

_I turned my head and stared at him. He was on his stomach, half his face pressed into the floor. He gave me a smile and nodded. "Okay, Daddy. You promise?"_

_"Yes, baby girl, I promise."_

_I then stopped fighting. Robin warily let me go after looking at Batman. I sat up and snatched my pony from the ground where she fell. Her coat was dirty and sticky, but I clutched her to my chest. I stood up and sat by Daddy as we waited. I stared at the liar and Robin the whole time. I hated them. I hated the man called Red Hood. But I especially hated Batman. It was his fault I couldn't be with Daddy. He met my eyes and I glared at him with all the hate my eight-year-old self could muster. "I hate you," I told him. "I will never, ever stop hating you."_

_He turned away from me without so much as blinking._

_I would get him back._

_I would.~~_

"Miss Dent, you will be working with Mister Drake on this project."

Acacia turns to look at Tim Drake and he smiles at her, dark blue eyes glinting in the fluorescent lights. She smiles back at him, pleased with her partner. They are most likely going to work at Wayne Manor and that is just fine with her.

Acacia is now going to be able to get the revenge that she has been planning since she was eight.

She is going to destroy Bruce Wayne and his closest people.

Batman and his companions are done.

Wind blows a lone bag down the street

Left from a surrender to the dark

A child scrounges through the garbage

Taking whatever she can find

Pained cries echo through the street

No one notices anymore

Fear has taken the souls by storm

Souls that were already lost to light

The dusk settles on the city

Many scurry and scamper to make it home before night

The darker soulless come out, rising with the blackness

Knives and guns are strapped on

For protection or to cause harm

It is both and it is neither

There are fewer now than there were at one time

But the fewer are the more dangerous

There is something that each one waits for

A flawless face flips a two headed coin over and over, his other side burnt and grinning

A beautiful woman strokes the petals, her red lips and green eyes watching the skies

A young doctor studies the mask, his blue eyes dance with madness and excitement

A lean man fires off several shots, his painted face grinning in laughter

A cheerful woman dance around stolen jewels, black and red suit hiding her old self

The Rogues of the city


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters belong to DC comics. The poem is my work, thank you.**

Harvey Dent unlatches the locket from around his neck and clicks it open to what is inside. He smiles at the child beaming back. He closes his fist around the locket and clenches his jaw at the maniacal laughing that starts in the cell across from him.

"Yoo-hoo! Haaaarvey! What'da lookin' at over there, Haaaaarvey? Your girlfriend? Secret lover? Favorite hooker? Oo! I know! I know! It's your boyfriend isn't it?!"

Two-Face snarls at the Joker. "Shut up, you demented psycho. You don't know a damned thing."

Poison Ivy—or Pamela Isely—glides toward the glass wall of her cage. "It's your daughter, isn't it, Harv? Acacia."

Two-Face stands up abruptly and stalks over to their own glass wall. They slam their fist against the glass, a thin gold chain swaying from it. "Yes, _Ivy_, it is. Do you know what today is?" When she doesn't answer they roar, "WELL DO YOU?!"

"No, Harvey, we don't," answers Doctor Jonathon Crane—or the Scarecrow. "Would you care to enlighten us as to why you are in _such_ a delightful mood?"

Harvey turns away from the rest of the caged Rouges and once again stares at the picture of his little girl. He smiles softly at the picture before answering quietly, "It's her birthday today. She's sixteen."

"Oh boy! She's going to have a blast! It's her sweet sixteen! Maybe she'll get a car and—"

"It's also the day Batman took her away from me," he finishes, cutting Harley Quinn—formerly Doctor Harleen Quinzel—off sharply.

Ivy goes to say something, but is cut off by the sound of the heavy security door opening into the special level reserved for the Rouges. They all move to be able to see who is coming in, but are far enough away from the glass so that the guards don't have an excuse to hit them.

Nightwing and Red Hood walk in, followed by the head of Arkham Asylum Security and several guards. The head of security walks over to Harvey's cell and punches in the code. "I don't know why the hell they let you see her, you sicko, but they do."

Harvey then knows that Acacia has come to see him on her birthday. A smile tugs at his mouth as he allows the guards to chain him up. He is allowed two hours with her and she always brings cupcakes. He walks calmly between Batman's lackeys and doesn't react when the current Red Hood shoves him roughly into the visiting area.

"Acacia," they say, announcing their presence. Acacia had never seen two different people, she said they were the same person with two different voices. She also never saw the scars, having seen them nearly everyday the first eight years of her life.

"Daddy!" she cries, rushing forward and ducking around the chains that held their hands and feet. She wraps her arms around them and they return the hug as best they can. She only lets go when Nightwing clears his throat. They smirk when she gives the vigilante a dirty glare before turning back to them with a smile. "I brought somebody this time, Daddy. His name is Crowe Moore, he's my best friend." She turns and motions for someone behind the door on the other side of the room.

Harvey stands tall when he sees the hulking boy come through the door and walk toward them. The boy is at least six foot one, with dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes. He is built like a quarterback and has a firm handshake, not reacting when Harvey shakes his hand with the scarred one.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," the boy says respectfully, stepping back and taking a protective stance beside Acacia. Two-Face approves of the boy and they nod to Acacia to let her know.

Red Hood snorts disdainfully and mutters something uncomplimentary under his breath. Two-Face walks forward and sits down in one of the hard, uncomfortable chairs in the room before turning to see their daughter smile sweetly at Red Hood.

"How's the leg, Red? Having any problems? I do hope it doesn't affect your ability to catch other criminals." His daughter's tone is condescending and full of mockery toward the anti-hero.

"Didn't hinder me from getting Two-Face back here," Red Hood retorts.

Before the two can erupt into a verbal fight, Two-Face interrupts. "Baby girl, why don't you tell me what's been going on? How's school?"

Their daughter turns and sits down across from him, her friend Moore leaning against the wall behind her. _Good_, they think, _he's protective. He'll keep her safe while we're in here_.

"Well, I'm going to Wayne Manor tomorrow," Acacia starts, running a hand through her black hair with red tints.

"Really? What for?" Harvey is curious, Bruce has always been a good friend of his, making sure his princess got the best education available. Assuring him that Acacia only went to foster homes that he had gone over and approved.

"I'm doing an English project with Tim Drake and he offered for us to be able to use Wayne's house to do our work. I said yes because the school library and the other Gotham libraries will be filled with the entire junior year working on their English projects."

Harvey smiles at Acacia, she has always been at the top of her English classes. "Bruce and I used to be good friends. He'll probably be a lot of help."

Something dark flashes through his daughter's violet eyes before fading quickly. "Of course, Daddy. But I doubt he'd be much help with this. It's about the heroes, anti-heroes, and villains of mythology and how the tales have been retold in different ways and entirely new stories." Acacia has always been a bit obsessed with the idea of heroes, anti-heroes, and villains. Clearly, she is taking advantage of the free-form project given to continue her research. "Also, we're connecting it to the heroes and villains that are known throughout the world now. Drake and I are arguing over whether or not anti-heroes actually are heroes or villains. I tell him it's not so black and white, but he insists that it is."

Harvey smiles at her, loving her enthusiasm and passion. She has many traits that he does, that were extremely useful when he was a lawyer. He raises his hands and places them on hers. "I'm sure you'll be able to convince him to see it your way."

She beams at him, making him feel like the most loved person in the world. "If not, I can always threaten to give some of his fan-girls fake love notes. That would make he see my way."

And there is the criminal side she learned watching me and my associates do business when she was younger.

_~~Acacia plays with her letter blocks as we discuss business with Falcone. She appears to not be paying attention as she makes buildings out of words. We make sure that she never is around when we discuss the more violent side of our work._

_"So, do we have an agreement?"_

_We turn back to the mob boss, giving him our best 'lawyer face'. "Nearly, I still want thirty-percent of the money you get from the products you get from the air drop-offs."_

_Falcone leans back in his chair and pulls out a cigar. He lights it and takes a deep breath of the toxin the brown paper hides. We open our mouth to order him to put it out—we never ask for _anything_—when our little girl beats us to it._

_"Put it out pleashe." It is adorable how she still has trouble saying her 'S's._

_Falcone turns to he in surprise, a mocking smile on his lips. I weave my fingers together and watch the scene before me, curious as to how the mobster will react to a five-year-old giving him orders._

_"Now why should I do that, girly?" he asks, his tone disregarding of her opinion before she says anything. He takes another deep drag after speaking._

_Acacia studies the block in her hand for a moment, before setting it to the side and turning her attention to him. "Uncle Crane says that shmoking is bad for you. He shaysh it can kill you."_

_"Can it now?" Falcone is amused and laughs at the advice he has probably been told before._

_"Yesh," Acacia nods decisively and places a block down. "Mishter Falcone, do you know what the fear of shcarecrowsh ish?"_

_He warily lowers his cigar and we smirk at the beginning of his fear. Clearly, Acacia has been learning how to get people to do what she wants from people other than me. Falcone swallows some of the brandy in the glass before him. "No, I don't. why do you ask."_

_Acacia continues to examine her blocks as she answers him. "It'sh called formidophobia. Not many people have it, sho it'sh not widely known. Mosht people have never even heard of it. Can you believe that?"_

_"Well I certainly hadn't heard of it until now." Falcone wets his lips nervously. Our smirk grows, this man has faced more murders and psychopaths than any average mobster and he is cowed by a child that doesn't come up to his knee. Our daughter is clever, much like us._

_"I know. That'sh actually what you're afraid of ishn't it? Shcarecrowsh. Uncle Crane tellsh me that the besht way to make someone do what you want, ish to make them fear you. He shaid I should try it shometime. Sho I have." Our daughter puts the next block down and we can see the sentence she is making._

_Falcone starts to shake, his cigar falling to the tabletop. Normally we would be upset about that, but we want to see what our baby girl has planned._

_"Sho I took shome of the fear toxin that Uncle Crane makesh. I don't like shmoking, sho I put it in each shigar and shigarette I found in the building. It washn't hard. Nobody paysh attention to a little girl wandering her home." She then again places another block down. She finishes the first line which is _'I DO NOT'.

_Falcone begins whimpering and he stands up so fast the chair falls over and he stumbles over it. "Please, please no."_

_"I ashked nishely lots of timesh. But nobody lishtensh to me. They lishten to Daddy, but only 'caushe he shcaresh them. Sho I deshided that I need to be shcary too." The next line is _'LIKE IT'.

_Falcone is sobbing now, scrambling to get away from the cigar still smoking on the table. "Please. Make it stop. MAKE IT STOP!"_

_"I found that Uncle Crane ish shometimesh right." _'WHEN PEOPLE'_ she places the 'E' down before reaching for the next block._

_"Make it go away! MAKE IT GO AWAY!"_

_"Shometimesh, the only way people lishten ish when they fear you." She finishes the word _'SMOKE'_ before turning to look at Falcone acting hysterically in the corner. "Don't you agree, Mishter Falcone?"_

_We walk over and read what Acacia has spelled out. It makes us wonder if we should limit her contact with Crane and the Joker. She used the correct spelling and grammar, which is impressive for a five-year-old. She turns her head and smiles at us, reaching her arms up in the air. We pick her up and pause to watch Falcone for a moment, before turning and walking away._

_"I'm tired, Daddy. Can I have a nap?" She rests her head in the crook of our neck._

_"Of course, sweetheart." We glance at the men outside the office. "Show Mister Falcone out, boys, when he's done in there."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_We think back to the blocks. Maybe Acacia is less innocent than we thought._

'I DO NOT LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE SMOKE.'

He leans back in the chair

Holding a whiskey glass carelessly,

They watch the bar patrons,

The scum that they once threw into Blackgate Penitentiary

He was now one of them,

Only he was sentenced to Arkham Asylum,

They have been in and out many times,

Courtesy of the damn Batman and his little sidekicks

His fingers clench around the glass,

He throws the whiskey back and silently demands more

They watched as the waitress scurried forward to take the glass,

They gave her a cruel smile, one side of his face turning up mockingly

He snorts as she pales to a ghastly white,

Observing her hurried gait to the bartender as she weaves through drunk lowlifes

They turned the always snarling side to her when she comes back

Laughing when she tripped over herself to give the whiskey to him and get away

His hand, tanned and unblemished, curls around the glass once more

The other, burned and mutilated, tattoos a rhythm onto the scuffed and cut table

They are amused when the bartender glares at them, and they hoped for a fight

But he did nothing and they are left without an outlet for their anger

He stares into the whiskey, swirling it slowly in the glass

Remembering the times when he and Bruce went out for girls and drinks

They grew angry, no girl wanted them now

They had to pay for release and they growled at the thought

The glass shatters in his hand, cutting into him

He lets the remains go and callously examines the blood

They no longer had Bruce,

No longer had anybody but the thugs they paid to do their dirty work

He misses those days,

The days of carelessness and freedom

But those were long gone they knew,

And all that was left for them

Was blood and bullets


	3. Chapter 3

**All recognized characters belong to DC comics.**

**Warning! This chapter contains child abuse and detailed violence. It has possible triggers so skip to where the italics end if needed. Thank you.**

**The poem at the bottom is not mine, but belongs to my friend Tangerine. I love that woman.**

Acacia leans against the window of the expensive car that Drake is driving. This is their first day working together since getting the project a week ago. She has been putting it off as long as possible, but eventually ran out of feasible excuses. She scowls angrily Tim is persistent when he wants something and has focused that on her. The car, though it isn't really a car more like a limousine, slows as it passes the gates to Wayne Manor and comes to a stop inside a large garage that is possibly the size of an apartment. She moves to open the door, but the butler, Alfred Pennyworth beats her to it.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Pennyworth," Acacia says, just because the man works for Wayne, doesn't mean she can't be polite.

"Oh it's no trouble, Miss Dent. But, please, refer to me as Alfred." The elderly butler smiles at her genuinely; making her feel a twinge of guilt for the pain she is going to cause him. "Let me take your coat, Master Drake will show you to the study."

She hand him her thrift store coat, with its torn edges and stains, and turn to look at Drake. He flashes a smile at her as he also hands Alfred his coat, new and nothing worn out about it, and turns to walk inside.

Acacia nearly shakes with anticipation, finally she will be able to plot out the Manor and find their secrets. She will have to be extremely cautious to do this. She hates to admit it, but Batman and his cohorts are not stupid or oblivious. They are calculating and each has their own specialty.

Nightwing is as graceful and precise as an acrobat, which is what he was before becoming Nightwing. Red Hood is more _anti_ than _hero_ and this allows him to think and predict the moves of villains than even Batman; he also has no hesitation to shoot a bullet into someone's skull. Red Robin is a technical whiz, he is able to hack and develop the most complicated of systems; he has no equal that Acacia knows of. The current Robin is a mixture of all of them combined with League of Assassins training; he is ruthless and deadly, more so than Red Hood who grew up with Batman's limits and morals.

"You okay, Acacia? You've been standing there for a couple minutes." Tim is looking at her with amusement. "Is the grandeur and wealth of this place too much for you to handle?"

Acacia gives him a withering look. "Just because I live in an apartment that is more suited to be called a rat hole, doesn't mean your wealth amazes me."

"I like her."

Acacia turns to look at the top of the staircase, where Jason Todd is leaning against the banister with a devil-may-care smirk. Richard "Dick" Grayson is behind him, but smiling genuinely. Dick comes down the stairs, extending a hand, "I'm Dick Grayson; Mister Hot-shot over there is Jason Todd."

It takes years of training to be able to control your emotions and expressions like Acacia is able to. She became an actress at a young age, as a survival mechanism. She draws on her experience now to prevent herself from going up and stabbing him. Instead, she smiles and extends her hand, anticipating a handshake. She is taken by surprise when he pulls her into a hug.

She freezes, not knowing how to react. She has only been shown affection and kindness from her father and Crowe; the other Rouges have shown affection, but Ivy is the only one with a sense of 'normal' affection. Scarecrow's idea of affection is letting you drug his minions with fear gas and not being scolded for it.

"Grayson, what are you doing? Are you molesting that poor girl?"

Dick loosens his grip and she slips away, making sure the wall is at her back. The person who has just spoken is nine-year-old Damian Wayne. He speaks very formally and has a slight Arabic accent. He rolls his eyes at Dick as the man ruffles his hair and turns to the high school senior. "Hello, I am Damian Wayne. I apologize for the lack of civility these barbarians lack. Would you like a tour?"

She smiles and her body relaxes, but she is still ready to run or fight at a moment's notice. "Hello, Damian. I'm Acacia Dent. It's a pleasure to meet you. A tour would be nice, but Drake and I have to work on an English project. Maybe another time?"

"Of course." He nods in an understanding way. "Would you like me to show you the study Father is allowing you to use? It seems your partner is…distracted."

Acacia turns and sees the Drake is mock-fighting with Todd and denying something with a furious blush across his cheeks. Acacia turns back to…well she can't call him Wayne, because that is his father. Perhaps Wayne Junior? It will have to do for now, until she can get 'home'. She tells him yes and follows him through the maze-like manor. Thank god that she has an eidetic memory and would be able to map this out later. The boy opens the door for her and she nods in thanks as she steps inside.

"Oh, Father, I did not realize that you are using this study. I was told this is the study for Drake and his English partner."

Acacia does not show any outward reaction, but her mind is whirling. She has never actually met Bruce Wayne, only seen him briefly each time she has been taken from her foster home for either abuse or neglect. She looks to see that he is smiling and raising his hand. From a blackened corner of her mind the memory of the family that started fueling her hatred of Batman.

~~_I hid under my bed, squeezing my eyes shut and clutching desperately at Rachel. The man was drunk again, and when he was I was the target of his anger. I heard him shouting and throwing things around the house. He began storming to my room in his drunken rage. I began crying and shoved my face in Rachel's fur._

_"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID BRAT!" he shouted, slamming the door open. "Quit hiding and get out here!" He then smashed through the room, looking for me. "There you are, you little bitch!" He grabbed my ankle and began dragging me out._

_I screamed and desperately tried to struggle away. But my nine-year-old body was no match for this monster of a man. He dragged me into the living room and threw me against the coffee table. The woman scuttled over to me and pulled me to her body, trying to shield me from the man's rage._

_"What are you doing, whore?! Trying to protect the thing! Are you saying it doesn't deserved to be punished?" The monster had stopped at the end of the hall, bloodshot eyes glaring at us._

_"Please, John. She's just a child. It's not her fault that Two-Face made you lose your job." The woman was moving so that I was hidden behind her. The woman was Maria, and she was the only good thing that had happened this year. She showed me what having a mother was like. Whenever her husband came home drunk or high, she would try to protect me as best she could._

_"I DON'T CARE! IT'S THE DAUGHTER OF THAT FREAK! IT DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE!" The monster then kicked Maria out of the way, making me cry out and reach for her. The monster then got between us and undid his belt and started beating me with it._

_"No! John! Stop it! STOP IT!" Maria began trying to grab his arm. She managed to grasp it and stop him for a moment. He threw her across the room and into the wall. She hit it with a sickening thud and slumped to the floor. She didn't move._

_"MARIA!" I screamed, crawling over to her._

_"Oh no you don't," he growled. He stomped on me and I cried out, begging for my father to show up and kill this man. He began kicking and stomping on me as I curled into a ball. I started sobbing. "SHUT UP!" he bellowed. "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_

_"Stop it! Stop hurting me! DADDY! DADDY, HELP ME!" I screamed for my father, for someone to make this man stop hurting me._

_The door to the house was kicked in and I raised my head slightly to see Nightwing in the doorway. He seemed to be furious, a rage that grew when he saw me. He launched himself at the monster, driving him away from me. I then crawled over to Maria._

_"Maria! Maria, wake up! Wake up, Mommy, wake up!" I shook her arm, begging her to open her eyes and see that everything would be fine. I crawled into her lap, crying into her chest. I couldn't hear her heart. She was dead. Dead, dead, dead. It was all Batman's fault. If he hadn't taken me from Daddy then Maria would still be alive._

_I heard sirens and people shouting, but I didn't care. Maria was dead and she was never coming back. She was never going to hug me and tell me that I was pretty. Never again would she sing me to sleep. She would never be able to teach me all of the dessert recipes we had planned out. The only woman who had ever been my mother was gone and I would never find another one._

_"Nightwing, enough!"_

_I lifted my head slightly and saw Batman standing in the doorway, glowering at Nightwing. Nightwing was crouched over the unconscious monster, breathing heavily. He stood up and snarled at the dark man, "Do you see what he did? He killed that woman and was going to kill Acacia! He deserves more!"_

_"He will. But we are not the law." Batman turned to where me and Maria were._

_"Stay away from us! You did this!" I gripped Maria's shirt tightly. He had made Maria die. If hadn't been here, she would have never died and would be happy._

_He strode over and yanked me from Maria's body. I screamed and thrashed in his grip, desperately struggling to escape his grasp. He held me with ease and shoved me at Nightwing, before talking to someone on his blue-tooth._

_Nightwing held me firmly, stroking my head. I gripped his neck tightly and sobbed. "I want Rachel."_

_"Rachel?"_

_"My pony. Daddy gave her to me." I clenched my hands against his suit. "She's under the bed."_

_He walked toward the back of the house. I could feel the growl in his chest as he saw my 'room', which had been a closet when I got here. He set me down and I crawled under the bed to get Rachel. When I didn't come back out, he crouched down to look at me._

_"Acacia? You have to come out of there. I need to take you to the hospital." He sounded so sincere and worried, but I knew he was lying. He had lied about being Daddy's friend, so why wouldn't he lie now?_

_"No. You'll make me go to a bad place. I don't wanna go to a bad place again."_

_He got down on his knees and stretched his hand out to me. "You won't go to a bad home again." His eyes were soft and sincere and I wanted so badly to believe him. "I promise that I will find you a good place to go."_

_"Promise? Pinky promise?" My hand trembled as I stretched my pinky toward his._

_"Yes. I pinky promise." His large pinky curled around mine for several moments, before he let go. "I need to take you to a hospital first okay? You need to get your wounds bandaged."_

_I nodded and he moved away from the bed as I crawled out with a filthy, dusty Rachel in one hand. I stretched my arms toward him and he picked me up tenderly. I trusted him. But I had forgotten he was a liar._

_But I was soon reminded. ~~_

She smiles and puts her hand in Gotham's wealthiest man's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Wayne. Father speaks highly of you."

His eyes narrow the slightest bit for a mere moment before he grasps her hand in a firm handshake. "I'm glad. Harvey and I were always good friends. Please, call me Bruce; make yourself at home." He flashes a charming smile. "I have to go make some calls now, but feel free to ask for anything you need."

As he turns and walks out the door, Acacia follows his movement with cold violet eyes. _~Ask for anything, huh? Would your head on a pike be too much?~_ She then turns and smiles at Damian, "Would you mind showing me where to work? I'm afraid I'd get lost."

As the boy nods and turns to lead her, a savage smile crosses her lips. Everything is falling into place. Soon she will avenge her father and Maria.

The raindrops drip off evergreen leaves,

The refreshing rain-cleansed air sighs.

Fog sweeps her misty gray skirt for shadowed thieves,

Through their teeth they cleverly lie.

Thieves call her Mother Mischief,

Songs sing of her, Goddess Mist.

Sailors name her Devil's Mistress,

The people fear her shadowed fist.

Sounds swell and dim in the mass of white,

Billowing and flowing and softly sweet.

Her spiraling droplets are colorful, light,

Her moist flows in a silencing feat.

A crack, a disturbance in the quiet,

Silverly white, yet deafening world.

A scream, a splash, she fights it,

Fights and flails, her nightmare unfurled.

Think, She whispers in the gixie's very bones,

Slurp up my soothing stew, so pure, She says unseen.

Listen to me, sweet, you will die here alone,

You shall drink Death's song; for you do not trick

The Trickster's Queen.


	4. Chapter 4

**All recognized characters belong to DC comics.**

**Once again, the poem is original work so please don't use it without asking or crediting me.**

**Thanks**

_"This just in, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Two-Face and the Joker have escaped from Arkham Asylum. All are considered to be armed and dangerous. Do not approach them under _any _circumstances. Please call this number if you have any information on their whereabouts."_

Acacia pauses in her writing and looks up at the television. She leans back against the couch her father bought the last time he escaped. She taps her mechanical pencil against her lips. They wouldn't come directly to her apartment, she knows Batman or one of his cohorts will be here soon, but which safe house will they use first? Acacia hears her window open, but doesn't bother getting up. It is either Robin or Red Robin. They are the only ones to come through her window. Red Hood and Nightwing use the front door and gods only know how Batman gets in.

"Hello, Miss Dent." It is Robin. He is the only person she knows besides Alfred that speaks so formally.

"Hey, Robin. So you're the babysitter this time? Help yourself to anything except my chocolate. And God help you if you get into my chocolate." She adjusts her position against the couch so she has a better angle to write on the coffee table.

"I do not want your chocolate. I am merely here to make sure that you do not have any contact with the recently escaped criminals." Such a charmer.

Acacia shrugs and takes a sip from her coffee mug, which holds hot chocolate and not coffee.

~~_Well of course not, coffee is horribly bitter._ ~~

The teenager lets out an audible groan and slams her head against the glass table. She thought that she got rid of him last week. Why, in the name of everything that is unholy, is he back so soon?

~~_Ah, come on, Mamba, you know you miss me when I leave._ ~~

She waves off Robin's raised eyebrow and attempts to focus on her Government homework. Oh, she misses her little voice alright. She misses him like she misses the expired milk she threw out this morning.

~~_Now that's not very nice. I'm only here to help you._ ~~

Her left eyebrow twitches as she copies the answer from the text book to her notebook. Help her? The only thing the voice helps her do is go insane. It sounds a lot like her Uncle Joker, actually, and that kind of creeps her out…Wait, hadn't the news said that her uncle has escaped. She feels the blood drain from her face and she stands up hurriedly.

_~~Oh goody! Uncle Jay's coming to visit! ~~_

"What are you doing, woman?" Robin is standing next to her with a confused look.

"Me? Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Just…uh, preparing for some…company." Acacia is darting around her house hiding anything that is sharp or could be used as a heavy throwing object.

"You mean your English partner?"

The teenager froze. She then lets out a slew of cursing in several languages, mainly Russian. She scrambles to find her phone and cancel the study session. She knows that she shouldn't have allowed him to come and work at her apartment. She knew it was a bad idea from the beginning. She spots her phone and lunges over her couch to grasp her phone. Just as she dials his number, there is a knock at her door. Acacia lets her drop in defeat.

"Acacia? Can I come in?"

She gives a muffled yes, but remains in her awkward position. Her legs are on the couch and the top half of her body hangs off the side with her arms stretched out in front of her, one hand holding a phone. She hears Drake walk in and pause at the sight of her position and Robin standing off to the side, little brat is probably laughing at her.

"You okay there, Dent?" He sounds amused.

She sticks an arm in the air, giving him a thumbs up. "Peachy."

She can hear him moving around her apartment, probably setting his stuff down and looking around. She twists her neck to an awkward angle to see his shoes in front of her face.

_~~I'm pretty sure those are Italian~~_

Well, they certainly look expensive. Acacia allows him to help her up, planning how to get him out before…wait a minute. Joker's coming to see her and she has two Robins in the room. They aren't any match for him, because Drake has to pretend he can't fight and Robin has had no experience with the Joker.

_~~Now you're gettin' it, sweet cheeks~~_

Tim is going to 'find out' that the Joker is like an uncle to her and then he'll either become over protective, or run away. She has a strong suspicion that it will be the former, but one can never be sure. She turns to her 'partner' and asks, "Did you see the news? Quite a few of the Rouges escaped Arkham tonight."

He freezes as she puts him on the spot, but recovers quickly. "Yeah, I was gonna cancel, but then I remembered you live in the Narrows and thought I could check in on you and your family." He looks around. "Speaking of them, where are they?"

_~~Oh, what a mean little boy. I say we make him uncomfortable. Because that comment was uncalled for~~_

Well she'd be damned if she doesn't agree. "Somewhere out in Gotham, plotting his next move." He gets rigid again and meets her gaze as she smiles sweetly. 'Poison them with honey' is what Aunt Ivy always says. "Oh, you probably meant my foster family. They couldn't give a damn if I died or not. I think they're currently in the Bahamas. Rich bastards that they are."

Drake opens his mouth to speak, but a gravely, mocking alto cuts across. "Tsk, tsk. And people think **_I'm_** a bad guy. I mean, real**_ly_**, who leaves for the Bahamas and gives their **_child_** a ra**_t_** hole to live in?"

Tim whirls as Joker steps out into the light, a red painted smile adorning his face. There's a muffled moan and Acacia looks to see Robin unconscious and tied up with duct tape. A smile quirks at her lips at the sight, Joker catches and winks at her. He walks forward, twirling a switchblade between his fingers. "Wha**_t_**? No hug for your favori**_te_** uncle?"

"Stay away from her," snaps Drake, stepping in front of her and pulling her up against his back. Acacia blinks at the move. She hadn't realized that she qualifies as an important person to him. A cruel smile curls her lips as she clenches the back of his dress shirt in a show of fake fear. This will be very useful in the future.

Uncle J starts laughing in his demented way. "Oh, I see. You **_like_** my darling li**_tt_**le niece. She's so lovable, isn'**_t_** she? Just ma**_kes_** you wa**_nt_** to cuddle, do**_esn_**'t it?" The homicidal sociopath moves toward them, making Acacia's self-proclaimed protector back up until they meet the wall. "Bu**_t_**, you've h**_ad_** sooo much t**_ime_** with her. I th**_ink_** it's **_my_** turn now."

There's a noise of protest before Uncle J knocks the teenage boy to the side with a baseball bat to the head. Acacia looks dispassionately at the body, before turning to the mentally unstable clown. "Really? A baseball bat? Couldn't you get, I dunno, a metal pipe or something?"

The Joker throws his head back, laughing. "**_Tha_**t's my girl. Now, **_you_** do rea**_liz_**e that **_t_**o make this **_belie_**vable you hav**_e_** to be **_uncon_**scious too?"

Acacia glowers at her uncle. "You just want payback for the time I ruined your suit."

The Joker straightens his currently dark purple jacket and grins. "W**_ell_**, these are **_quit_**e expen**_sive_**."

The teenager throws her hands in the air. "I was _five_! How was I supposed to know that I couldn't use your jacket as a costume?" However, instead of getting an answer, she gets a baseball bat to the base of her skull.

_~~I sneaked around the corner, checking to make sure that no one had seen or heard me. Daddy was in a meeting and had told me to stay in my room. I had been doing that, but then I got hungry. There wasn't any food in my room, so I went to raid the kitchen for munchies. I got into the kitchen and stared up at the top of the fridge. Miss Nina, my nanny/housekeeper, had made chocolate chip cookies earlier and placed them in a jar on top of the fridge._

_I eyed the top of the counter before deciding there was no way I could reach it without a boost. I walked over to the table and began pulling a chair toward the fridge. It took me several minutes because I didn't want anyone to hear me (and the chair was _heavy_) but I made it._

_I clambered on to the chair, then the marble counter. I moved toward the fridge slowly and when I got there scowled. The cookies were still out of my reach, and I knew I couldn't lift a chair onto the counter. I stretched my self to my tiptoes, my hand just barely grazing the jar—_

_"A_**nd**_ wha_**t**_ are yoou _**do**_ing, li_**ttl**_e girl?"_

_I turned my head to look at the man in the kitchen doorway. He was tall, but hunched over. He wore purple pants with suspenders. He had a green shirt with a purple suit coat over it. He was leaning against the door jam, watching me with curiosity. He had white face paint on, with black paint around his eyes and red on his mouth and smiling scars. His hair was green and hung around his face in greasy pieces. His eyes were black and cold, like all the life was taken out of them._

_I hadn't met this man before, but I knew he was someone to be feared. Later, he would become someone dear to me, a precious uncle. For now, however, he was a stranger in purple with smiling scars and greasy hair. I didn't answer, just gazed at him. I was still precariously balanced on the marble counter, just barely leaning on the fridge._

_He moved his eyes to where my fingers were reaching for the cookie jar, and a slow smile formed. "_**I**_ see. Y_**ou**_ wan_**t**_ the _**co**_okies. What a ba_**d**_ litt_**le**_ girl. _**Mak**_ing so_**me chaos**_. I appr_**ove**_." He proceeded to walk over to me and grab the jar off the fridge top and open it. He took one, shoved it in his mouth and then extended the jar to me._

_I slowly lowered myself off of my tiptoes and stood normally on the countertop. I reached inside the jar, still watching the purple clown man, and grabbed a cookie. I sat down on the counter, swinging my feet over the side, and began to eat is._

_Another wide grin appeared on his face as he took the chair I used earlier and sat on it. He grabbed another cookie and began eating that one. It went on like this for a while, him eating a cookie then letting me grab one. It was when the cookies were almost gone the stranger leaned forward, placing his arms on his knees and looking me in the eye._

_"_**So**_, I'm _**th**_e __**Joker**__. W_**ho**_ a_**r**_e you?" ~~_

Filth and decay are

Ground into the Narrows

Suffering and hunger are

The lives of children

No one comes out

At night, at light

The playgrounds are empty

Not a child seen

Jack moves steadily down

Empty streets, crowded allies

He looks for the

Place he once was

He stops, staring at

A leaning gray shed

He and his sister

Had once called home

The door opens unsteadily

As if to fall

The space is small

Smaller than he remembers

He is larger now

He knows now that

This is not a

Home for happy children

This home is for

Children who hide and

Shake in fear of

The man called Father

Memories, thoughts, dreams, hopes

This leaning gray shed

Held all of those

And not much more

He takes one more

Look, then places something

On the floor, he

Walks away, whistling

He raises a purple

Gloved hand, holding a

Button, he presses down

And grins at the

Explosion, finally he has

Killed the rest of

Jack, Jack is no

More he is now

The Clown Prince of Crime.


	5. Chapter 5

All recognized characters belong to DC comics. Warning! This chapter contains child abuse and detailed violence. It has possible triggers so skip to where the italics end if needed. Thank you. When Acacia wakes up, she realizes several things at once. First, she is tied to a wooden chair with duct tape and rope. Next, she is in an abandoned warehouse near the docks (Why is it always docks with you, Uncle Jay?). Finally, that she, Drake and the newest Robin are hanging over a vat of acid together. She's in between the two and Robin is awake, while Drake is slowly coming to conciousness. "Why hello there, sweetheart. Have a good nap?" The teenage girl looks down to see the Joker standing on a metal walkway, grinning up unrepentantly at the trio. She scowls at him. "I feel fan-fucking-tastic. Best sleep I've ever had." Her head is throbbing with a migraine, causing her to lose vision in her left eye. Any headache and/or migraine causes her to loose vision in her left eye; this is a result of a head injury she got when she was a child from her extremist Catholic family that believed she was possessed by Satan. "Let us go, Joker. This won't end well for you." Tim is awake now and looking pissed off. ~~Probably because he has to be the 'weak rich boy' right now~~ "Oh?" Uncle Joker turns away from the controls he is messing with and looks at them. "And why would that be?" "Because Batman—" "BATMAN?! Don't make me laugh, boy. I want him to come. I have an experiment for him." He turns away to the control panel. He presses a few buttons and pulls to levers. Acacia cries out as her chair is swung to hover over melted…is that gold? Where in the name of all that is unholy did he find that? ~~Not really the problem right now~~ No, she supposes it isn't. Glancing over to her left she sees that the two birdies haven't been moved. To her right are a couple of misfortunate souls that happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. As her chair swings around slightly, she can hear her uncle doing a monologue. She's heard enough of those to last her next four lives, so she tunes out. "OH MISTAH JAAAAAAY!" Acacia hangs her head in defeat. Harley is here. Now she's really fucked. For some reason, Harley Quinn never liked Acacia; something about 'taking her puddin's attention away'. Whatever in the circles of hell that means. Acacia turns her head up to see the deranged woman bouncing and twirling around Uncle Jay, who looks bored and un-amused. His hand whips out and slaps Harley across the face, sending her to the floor of the walkway. Acacia flinches at the cracking sound Quinn's arm makes when she lands on it. He walks away from the spandex-covered woman, coming to stand in front of Acacia. He gives her a devilish smile and leans forward, speaking in a voice that he only uses with her, "Hello there, girly, been good while I'm gone?" Acacia gives the sociopath a slight upturn of the lips that could be mistaken for a sneer. "As ever, uncle. I've managed to get into the Manor." His eyes spark with a demonic interest. "Good to hear; you'll have to send me the blueprints. Now, we need to play our parts, don't we?" He winks at her and then presses a button on a remote that seems to pop out of nowhere. Acacia gives a small scream as her chair drops down a few feet and then jerks to a stop, causing her to swing more drastically over the boiling concotion. She hears the other people shout in alarm, but her focus is on her uncle. Her eyesight is blurry and half-gone, but she thinks she sees a sad look in his eyes. "Leave her alone, Joker!" shouts Tim Drake, snarling at the man. The Joker lets out a deranged, maniacal laugh. "Oh? Are you feeling neglected? Too bad." He goes to say more, but Nightwing, Red Hood, and Batman drop from the roof. Acacia watches the interaction between the Joker and Batman. Her uncle is threatening the vigilante with three different remotes, one for each vat. He says that there is one for each vat, but the Bat's only allowed to choose one, not knowing which one will save who. However, if Batman doesn't make a decision within five minutes, the Joker will press all three, killing all five people. Acacia observes as Batsy (Oh, good Lord, she's starting to think like Uncle Jay) lunges at her uncle, unable to find a decision that will save them all. Nightwing and Red Hood go to free the people on either side of her. She keeps her face terrified; her breathing close to hyperventilation, but inside she is entirely calm. She knew that they would go for the others first. She sees Nightwing move toward her, after making sure that the two civilians are safe, but he is seconds too late as her chair drops. She lets out a scream of terror, then pain, as her leg is splattered with molten liquid. She continues screaming as memories of fires and branding overwhelms her. She sees the horror on Nightwing's face as she passes into unconsciousness. ~~ I looked at my new room in the new foster home. It was small, closet-sized really, full of dust and very Spartan in style. The only decoration is an ornate cross on the wall across from the bed. I set my bag on the floor and sat on the bed, a puff of dust rose up from the mattress and blankets. I could hear the 'parents' talking to my social worker. I couldn't care less what they were discussing; any promises made would be broken once the social worker left. I heard the door close and one pair of footsteps walk toward me. I lifted my head and looked closely at the woman in front of me. She was rather average in appearance, mud brown eyes, mouse-gray hair pulled into a strict bun, small pursed mouth, thin pointed nose. She wore a plain blue dress, with a white waist apron over it. ~~Hello, Hell, nice to see you again~~ I blinked, she looked very strict. I'd probably be in trouble with her a lot. She proceeded to tell me the rules of the house, as well as handing me a paper listing them: 1. I was to always dress appropriately (dresses, blouses and skirts only) 2. I was to join in family prayer (not optional) 3. I was to never take the Lord's name in vain 4. I was to never cuss 5. If any of these rules were broken, I would be punished severely At the time I just nodded and agreed to everything she said, not really paying attention. I would regret that later on, when I broke rule number four. I had gone several months in this very Catholic house. The other children were treated exactly as I; there was no favoritism in this place. The girls—there were three others—all wore plain skirts or dresses in very neutral colors and their hair was always pulled back tightly. The boys—there were four—wore dress shirts and pants with their hair slicked back. All our rooms were the same, the only decorations allowed were religious pieces. I had been hanging the laundry up outside—all household chores were done by hand, no machines—when the wind blew several pieces of clothes out of the basket and on to the ground. "Shit," I whispered, rushing over to them. "What was that, young lady?" I froze, swallowing hard. I had seen Brian after his punishment of breaking rule number four; he couldn't lay on his back for weeks with the whip marks. I turned around and saw Misses Christina standing behind with her hands on her hips. I knew I was going to get hurt, so why not do something to deserve it? "I said," I started slowly, "shit. Is that a problem?" I vicious little smile adorned her face. "I knew you would mess up, devil child. Your whole family is sinners, so of course you would be too. Your mother a prostitute and father a criminal." I scowled at the woman, "Leave my father out of this, you hag." Her smile instantly left her face. "You better watch your tongue, devil child, or you're going to get into more trouble." I scoffed at her. "Go to hell, bitch. I don't respect you and never will. You know what? You and your 'God' can go to hell, both of you." Her face twisted into something ugly. She lunged forward and grabbed my arm. "You're going to pay for that," she snarls, dragging me behind her. I started struggling, making it as difficult as possible for her to take me anywhere. She stopped suddenly, making me crash into the back of her knees. She yanked open the shed and threw me in there; I collieded against the far wall with a cracking sound coming from my head. I dizzily sat up, feeling blood drip down onto the back of my neck. "Stay in here and repent. I'll be back to deliver the rest of your punishment." She slammed the door, locking it from the outside. I twisted around in the bathroom to look at my back; several of the lash marks were red and inflamed. I had gotten them two weeks ago. Those were the newest ones. I had scars crisscrossing my back from the multiple whippings I had gotten since the day in the shed four months ago. I had been rebelling since, making the hag more and more frustrated that her discipline hadn't been working. She hadn't done anything in the past two weeks, which made me wry of what she was thinking of next. I shrugged on my nightgown gingerly, hissing at the pain of clothe touching my injuries. I walked back to my room and lay on my stomach, unable to lie on my back. I woke up in the middle of the night from a searing pain going through my back and a newer, fresher pain on my stomach. My eyes flew open and I saw the matron and a priest standing over me, holding me down and pressing a heated cross onto my stomach. I screamed and thrashed, desperately trying to get away from the pain, but my malnutritioned 11 year-old body was no match for the she-devil. Several more were pressed onto me and I eventually couldn't tell what was new and what wasn't. The last thing I heard was the foster mother hissing into my ear, "This will show you who is the more powerful being, demon spawn."~~ When she awakens, Acacia is in massive amounts of pain, emotionally and physically. She sluggishly turns her head to the side and realizes that she is in the Bat Cave. At any other time she would be mentally recording everything she sees. As it is, she forces herself upright. "Hey!" Nightwing rushes over and tries to gently push her back down. "Don't sit up; you'll re-open your wounds." Acacia sees the genuine concern and worry in his eyes, and would normally scoff. Instead, she reaches out with a trembling hand and grasps his suit tightly. She tugs on his suit so that he will come closer, when the vigilante does, she wraps both arms around him and starts sobbing. Acacia feels his surprise, but he returns the hug gently, whispering that she is going to be just fine. Later she can hate him. Later she can plot his destruction. For now, she just wants someone to hold her and tell her that she'll be okay. La La La La La La La La La La La La La La There's a little creepy house In a little creepy place. Little creepy town In a little creepy world. Little creepy girl with Her little creepy face, Saying funny things that you've never heard. Do you know what it's all about? Are you brave enough to figure out? Know that you could set your world on fire, If you're strong enough to leave your doubts. Feel it, breathe it, believe it and You'll be walking on air. Go try, go fly so high and You'll be walking on air. You feel this, unless you kill it Go on and you're forgiven. I knew, that I could feel that I feel like I'm walking on air. She has a little creepy cat And little creepy bat. Little rocking chair And an old blue hat. That little creepy girl Oh, she loves to sing, She has a little gift And amazing thing. With her little funny eyes of hazel, With her little funny old blue hat. She will go and set the world on fire No one ever thought she could do that. Feel it, breathe it, believe it and You'll be walking on air. Go try, go fly so high and You'll be walking on air. You feel this, unless you kill it Go on and you're forgiven. I knew, that I could feel that I feel like I'm walking on air. Flitter up And hover down. Be all around, Be all around. You know that I love you. Go on, Feel it, breathe it, believe it and You'll be walking on air. Go try, go fly so high and You'll be walking on air. You feel this, unless you kill it Go on and you're forgiven. I knew, that I could feel that I feel like I'm walking on air. Feel it, breathe it, believe it and You'll be walking on air. Go try, go fly so high and You'll be walking on air. You feel this, unless you kill it Go on and you're forgiven. I knew, that I could feel that I feel like I'm walking on air. I'm walking on air. I'm walking on air. 


End file.
